Attachment for smoking appliances



De@ w, 1939. c. P. NASH. JR 2,184,054

ATTACHMENT FOR SMOKING APPLIANCES Filed May 5, 1958 Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR SMOKING APPLIANCES Application May 5, 1938, Serial No. 206,259

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to smoking appliances such as cigar holders and pipes and is more particularly concerned with controlling the temperature of the smoke, by adjusting an amount of air as admitted to the smoke stream and mixed therewith prior to being drawn from the appliance.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- Vide a novel, simple, and inexpensive attachlo. ment for pipes, cigar holders and the like, whereby the smoker can readily control the admission of an auxiliary supply of air to the smoke without the necessity of making manual adjustments.

Another object is the provision of a novel flex- ;.3 ible protecting cap for the end of the mouth piece whereby the teeth of the user are protected from contact with the hard surface of the mouth piece.

In the accompanying drawing:

go Figure 1 is an elevation of a tobacco pipe showing in section one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the cap shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a sectional View of a modified form of appliance here shown as applied to a slightly modified form of mouth piece;

Figure 5 is a sectional View on the line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a different modied form of mouth piece and showing the appliance in section;

Figure 7 is a sectional View on the line l-'l of Figure 6.

It is well known that the chief objection to smoking pipes is that such pipes have a tendency to deliver smoke at a temperature that is too o high for the comfort of the smoker. It is also well known that the admission to and mixture with the smoke of a certain` amount of air will result in a much more agreeable and comfortable smoke, this being partly due to the cooling effect of the air and also to the dilution of the smoke, which is sometimes of such strength and nature as to be unpleasant to the smoker. ln

order to adjust the admixture of air to suit the taste of the individual smoker it is desirable that 5,0 its admission be'readily controllable and preferably without the necessity of manual adjustment. These desirable results are obtained in an efcient manner by the structure of the present invention. 55 Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 a mouth piece (Cl. ISI-198) is designated 3, here shown as forming a part of a tobacco pipe but which may with equal advantage form a part of a cigar holder. Applied to the mouth piece at the outlet end is a yieldable cap member 9, comprising a skirt I0, and an 5 end wall II. Perforations l2 pierce the end wall Il to permit the escape of the smoke that is drawn through the mouth piece I, the perforations here being shown as relatively small and widely distributed so that the smoke stream will 10 'oe broken up to avoid the effect of a heavy stream of smokel impinging upon the tongue of the smoker.

The cap 9 is so formed that when applied to the mouth piece a chamber I3 is enclosed beyond 15 the end ofthe mouth piece.` This chamber acts as a mixing chamber wherein the stream of smoke and air is subjected to a certain amount of turbulence.

The cap 9- is so formed as to permit the in- 20 gress of air between its walls and the surface of the mouth piece.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 this is accomplished by providing the inner surface of the skirt t0 with a plurality of groovesV Ul that 25 extend from. the forward edge of the skirt lll to a point that lies Within the area that incloses the chamber I3.

The cap 9 is made of a yieldable resilient material, for example, molded rubber, and there- 30 fore,l a yielding surface ispresented to the teeth of the smoker and the latter are protected against damage by contact with the hard surface of the mouth piece. The resilient nature of the skirt portion I0 also permits the area of the 35 passages that are formed by the grooves lll in connection with the surface of the mouth piece to be varied by the pressure of the users teeth upon the outer surface of the skirt portion. If desired, instead of the grooves I Ll, passages may '40 be formed wholly Within the rubber cap 9, taking the place of the grooves I4.

From the above, it will be readily apparent that the smoker can, by varying the pressure of his mouth upon the outer surface of the skirt 45 portion I, control the amount of air that is admitted for mixture with the smoke. It will be seen from inspection of Figure l that the air streams, being admitted to the chamber I3 at angles to the stream from the mouth piece of the pipe, will create a turbulence Within the chamber which will thoroughly mix the smoke and air and deliver it through the apertures I2 in a completely mixed and agreeable condition.

In Figures 4 to 7 a modified form of mouth 55 piece is illustrated in which the passage forming groove is in the material of the mouth piece instead of in the wall of the cap.

In Figures 4 and 5 the mouth piece I5 is provided with a groove I6 that has two reaches that extend in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the mouth piece, one of the said reaches I1 being longer than the other.

The shorter reach I8 is in communication with the passage of the mouth piece by means of a port 20 located at the end of the said reach I8. The cap 2| that is used with a mouth piece of this character is formed similar to the cap 9 of the previously described embodiment with the exception that the inner surface of the skirt 22 is smooth.

In using the form disclosed in Figures 4 and y5 the groove IG in cooperation with the skirt of the cap member forms a passage for the admission of air, this passage being subject to control by the pressure of the smokers mouth. The forming of the groove in two reaches I'I and I 8 is to enable the air to be introduced to the smoke stream at a point somewhat removed from the end of the mouth piece, whereby it can be thoroughly mixed with the smoke before the latter reaches the mouth of the user, and yet suicient length of the groove may underlie the skirt of the cap to permit control of the area of the passage by compression of the resilient skirt.

A simplified structure is illustrated in Figures 6 and '7. In this embodiment the groove 23 is straight and parallel to the axis of the mouth piece. The cap member 24 is formed with a smooth interior surface which bridges the groove 23 and permits control of the cross sectional area of the passage that it forms. A port 25 communicates from the end ofthe groove 23 to the smoke passage 26 so that the air that is admitted by way of the groove is introduced into the smoke stream at a point adjacent the end of the mouth piece. In this form mixing is accomplished in the chamber 26 that is enclosed by the cap member at the end of the mouth piece.

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing that by use of the present invention the mixture of air with the smoke that is delivered by a pipe, cigar holder, or the like is readily controlled in accordance with the taste of the individual smoker without the necessity for a careful manual adjustment. The cap member being resilient and exible acts as a protector for the teeth of the smoker. Being made of a material such as rubber and being subject to manufacture by simple process, the caps are inexpensive.

In the embodiment of Figures l to 3 no alteration of the structure of the pipe is required. In the forms of Figures 4 to 7 the modification of the structure of the mouth piece is very simple and will not greatly add to the cost of the mouth piece.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be the preferred and practical embodiment of the inventive concept, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the specific details are merely illustrative of other equivalent constructions which may be developed in the course of use, and that the invention is to be determined not by the details as shown and described but by a fair interpretation of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a smoking appliance the combination with a mouth piece having a smoke passage of a flexible and resilient member surrounding the mouth piece and enclosing between itself and the mouth piece a passage that communicates between atmosphere and the smoke passage, whereby the area of the passage between the member and the mouth piece may be varied by the pressure of the smokers mouth.

2. In a smoking appliance the combination with a mouth piece having an interior smoke passage and a groove in its outer surface, and a port in communication with one end of the groove and the smoke passage, of a iiexible member surrounding ythe mouth piece and bridging the groove, whereby the area of the passage formed by the groove may be varied by the pressure of the smokers mouth.

3. In a smoking appliance, the combination of two members, one being a mouthpiece with a smoke passage, the other being a iiexible member surrounding the mouthpiece, one of said members being formed with an atmospheric air passage of which the flexible member forms a wall, whereby through pressure of the smokers teeth upon the flexible member, the bore of the air passage may be throttled.

4. In a smoking appliance, the combination of two members, one being a mouthpiece with a smoke passage opening in the end thereof, the other being a flexible member surrounding the mouthpiece and terminating beyond the end of said mouthpiece in a perforated mixing cham ber, one of said members being formed with an atmospheric air passage of which the exible member forms a wall, opening into said mixing chamber, whereby through pressure of the smokers teeth upon the flexible member, the bore of the air passage may be throttled.

5. In a smoking appliance, the combination of two members, one being a mouthpiece with a smoke passage, the other being a flexible member surrounding the mouthpiece, one of said members being formed with a substantially U-shaped groove extending longitudinally of the mouthpiece with its bight toward the end of said mouthpiece and a short distance from said end, the limbs of said groove being of unequal length with the end of the short limb communicating with a port opening through said mouthpiece into said smoke passage, said flexible member forming a wall of said groove whereby through pressure of the smokers teeth upon said flexible member, the bore of said groove may be throttled.

6. A flexible resilient cap adapted to be slipped upon the mouthpiece of a pipe comprising a perforated hollow end portion adapted to confront the end of the smoke passage in the pipe mouthpiece, forming a mixing chamber, and a skirt portion for engagement with the surface of the mouthpiece having a longitudinal air inlet passage communicating with atmosphere and with said mixing chamber, adapted to be bitten upon by the smoker to constrict the air passage and thus control the admission of air to the mixing chamber.

CHARLES P. NASH, JR. 

